Just 'Cause
by Whitewash
Summary: Friends don't let friends die unnecessarily. [YggdraxMilanor fluff]


They had found her in the most absurd circumstances. After trying to find the reason why Imperial Forces had burned down his home, Milanor and his fellow thieves did a quick search around Norn Valley to seek out anyone who might have been related to the incident. More or less it was for revenge against the person that had led the Imperial Army to an otherwise rugged and disorderly place. But whom they had found, well... Suddenly their lust for vengeance had disappeared.

In other words, they had found the princess of the formerly peaceful country of Fantasinia cowering behind a rock, gripping a gigantic sword, and spattered with blood. Apparently, a small group of Imperial soldiers had noticed her and tried to go after her, and were, by some ungodly power, all slain. The only explanation they had was the sword she was holding, dyed a dark crimson on one side.

Milanor's thieves had been wary of her first. Even though her big blue eyes seemed to portray innocence, the rest of her and her blade absolutely _betrayed_ that first impression. It was such a twisted sight that even the Silver Wolf could hardly make sense of it. And he was supposed to be renowned for always having a level head...

The gods have mercy on him for finally deciding to aid her after a conversation that went by a little too fast. She had claimed to be the sole heir to the Fantasinian throne and promised him her castle, and the Imperial Army that was constantly hounding her gave proof of that. His band of thieves was a quick and ruthless one, but the sheer size of the Imperial Army made it hard to keep up. Gladly enough, axes fared well against spears, wielders of which made up the majority of Imperial forces.

The princess herself, Yggdra what's-her-name, was strangely shy for someone who wielded a sword that could slice a horse in half. She had a tendency to blush often and never paid mind to the fact that Milanor and his men had found her covered in the blood of those she had slain. In fact, the princess never really paid mind to killing. She did it, and it was done and over with for her, and nothing more was to be said of the matter. Mass murder was a necessary part of war. Wasn't it?

Milanor figured she must have had absolutely no remorse for the Imperial Army that had killed her entire family and taken her kingdom from her to be able to kill so readily. Even he sometimes hesitated before an Imperial soldier. After all, they hadn't really done much to him save burn down his stronghold... Of course, that was nothing compared to a life. He supposed that was just the way things were. It still bothered him, though.

One time, Milanor mistakenly tried to approach Yggdra about the matter. Philosophy wasn't exactly his strong point; he was a bit unsure about going to speak to her about death and the like in the fear of somehow offending her. Thief or not, he still wanted to support her.

"It... I must. I have to. I just..." Yggdra shook her head, strands of hair falling in her face. Her expression was one of half grief and half discomfort. Her eyes were squeezed tight, almost as if she was wishing for all of it to just go away.

Milanor seemed to catch that. "Listen," he said, gripping her shoulders in an attempt to get her to look at him. "This war isn't going to go away until it's over. But you don't have to fight. Don't feel forced. There are many people willing to die for you." The Silver Wolf himself, even, however quiet as he was about it.

The princess wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "I know that. I know that... But... It just wouldn't feel... I just don't see why... I just need to fight. I have to. There's no other explanation."

Milanor blinked in bemusement. Even for all the strength in her skinny little arms that she used to wield Gran Centuro, didn't she get tired of fighting at least _once_ in a damn while? He would've given anything to get a break from all of the blood and death and carnage that was a battle. Rejecting it was like... Giving up his ax in the middle of a duel.

The thief paused before giving a reply. "You need a break."

"Why is that?"

"Because you just do." Milanor began to walk away.

"But I don't want one."

"Well, you're getting one!" The Silver Wolf glared daggers back at Yggdra. "Listen! You're worth so much to us; much more than you think you are. There are thousands of people who need for you to stay alive so you can bring order to your country! You're the last of your bloodline, the sole heir... our only hope." His eyes narrowed, softly but solemnly. "Why would you even think about losing your life when you've got everything else to gain?"

Milanor walked away without waiting for an answer.

He did get one, though rather belatedly, and it was such a strong one that it nearly knocked him off his feet. Literally. The thief had been almost tackled from behind by Yggdra, who now had him by the waist and had buried her head in his cloak. Milanor stiffened and turned at least five shades of red before his muscles relaxed against the unusual feeling of _affectionate_ human contact. Usually it had been injured or dead people falling against him in the midst of a fight. This, though, he could handle for a few more seconds... minutes... than usual.

Unsurprisingly, Yggdra had reddened substantially as well in full knowledge that friendly physical contact with the thief was usually taboo. She backed away slowly and stared down towards the ground, blushing furiously. "I... I apologize."

Milanor looked up at the sky in an attempt to look away from her. "There's, uh... no need to apologize," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

Yggdra met his eyes and offered him a shy smile. It must have been the first she'd given in weeks.

"I think we both needed that."

* * *

A/N: Wow... It's so... fluffy. O.o I'm not used to writing fluff, but as my first venture into the genre and into the Yggdra Union fandom, I'm surprised at how well it turned out. And, yeah, I know that Yggdra supposedly stays out of sight during the first battle in the game, but it could have happened! And quite messily as well... (Erf...) As usual, review, review, review. 


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